Elmhurst Hospital’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has awarded its “Run of the Month” for March 2017 to the Oakbrook Terrace Fire Protection District and Oakbrook Terrace Police Department.

Paramedics George Arvai, Robert Boncela, Eric Focht and Gregory Sebesta, and Police Officers Clayton Plumtree, Jason Sluzewicz and Tom Tomopoulos were recognized for their care of a 61-year-old woman who choked on a piece of food at a local restaurant on March 31.

One of the police officers used the Heimlich maneuver, which dislodged a small piece of the obstruction in the airway. The patient had a faint pulse, but was unresponsive. Upon their arrival, paramedics assessed the patient and found her to have no pulse. They began CPR and were able to remove the piece of food. They inserted a tube to help the patient breathe and provided additional treatment. The patient regained a pulse and was transported to the Elmhurst Hospital Emergency Department. She was admitted to Elmhurst Hospital and discharged about a week later.

In the “Run of the Month” program, Elmhurst Hospital’s EMS Team reviews ambulance runs by pre-hospital providers and selects one to be recognized based on the following criteria:

Excellent communication from the field that resulted in the timely delivery of pertinent clinical information to the Elmhurst Hospital Emergency Department staff

Clear and thorough documentation

Superior clinical assessment skills that resulted in accurate recognition of a clinical situation